Summary Statement
The writer of this Psalm makes a sharp contrast between the righteous and the ungodly. The righteous delight in God’s Word and will flourish, while the ungodly will perish.
Delight in the Word of God is the necessary ingredient to a blessed, righteous and successful life.
Outline
Genre
This Psalm would be considered a ‘wisdom’ Psalm because of its instruction in righteousness. Because of the focus on God’s Word as the catalyst for righteousness, this could also be categorized as a ‘torah’ Psalm.
Wisdom – turning knowledge into skillful living that is honoring to God
Torah – in the generic sense of the Hebrew word, it is ‘direction’ or ‘instruction’. Originally, it meant ‘to point’, ‘to throw’, or ‘to shoot an arrow’. Specific to the Bible in a narrow sense, Torah means the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). In a broader sense, it also refers to any of the written or oral laws and traditions of the Jewish people.
A Fork in the Road
Choose the false gods or choose the true One. – Joshua 24:14-15
Choose the narrow gate or choose the broad one. – Matthew 7:13-14
Choose to sin or choose the escape route. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
In Psalm 1, we are standing at a fork in the road:
Choose to be righteous or choose to be ungodly.
Choose to be blessed or choose judgment.
Choose to prosper or choose to perish.
The key to helping us choose correctly lies in what our influences are (people who are ungodly OR the Word of God?).
– How do we view God’s Word? Delight!
– What we do with God’s Word? Meditate!
Walks – how one lives
Stand – lifestyle association
Sit – the act of joining in and identifying with
Counsel – moral and ethical decisions in life
Path – direction and course of life
Seat – the place of joining
Wicked – unbelievers/ungodly
Sinners – ones who ignorantly or intentionally disobey God
Scoffers – those who ridicule the righteous; attempt to destroy their integrity
Establish my footsteps in Your Word ~ Psalm 119:133 